Orlando Track Club Offers New Avenues Of Competition

December 5, 1986|By Paul Gilbert of The Sentinel Staff

The Corporate Relay Classic track meet at Showalter Field last April proved one thing to Ricky Davenport and John Portilla, employees at Martin Marietta. Orlando is loaded with world class track and field athletes.

After Martin Marietta walked away with first-place honors, Davenport, Portilla and their teammates left hungry for more competition.

Though Central Florida holds dozens of 5K, 10K and biathlons, there are not many open meets in the shorter distances that will allow athletes to perform not aligned with high schools or colleges.

So Davenport and Portilla have organized the Greater Orlando Florida Track Club. The team, though in its infancy, still boasts nearly two dozen athletes who have posted top times. Davenport has cleared the 110-meter high hurdles at 13.56 seconds; Silas Hudson, who is just behind Davenport at 13.85 seconds in the 110-meter high hurdles, and Jeff Jackson, who has a personal high of 45.47 seconds in the 400-meter sprint.

''One of the things lacking in Florida is the opportunity to compete at the level I'm used to,'' said Hudson, an NCAA Division III champion in the high hurdles.

The medium and long distance runners also arecompetitive with Bob Stachow running a 1,500 meters in 3:50. David Roberts and John Kotyk each can break a 16-minute 5K.

Davenport, president of the club, and Portilla vow to keep the team open to anyone with an interest in track and field regardless of experience. Both feel the team can help train novices and accomplished amateurs.

''We want to be able to develop athletes for training in the Olympic trials and eventually world-class competition,'' Davenport said.

''And we want to be able to provide local athletes with a chance to better personal records, too,'' Portilla said. ''When you work with a higher level of competition you'll improve.''

The only hitch is that's all Davenport and his teammates can supply. As is true with most organizations in their beginning, the club is still trying to rally support from local businesses and state government agencies. A current proposal before state officials, which would give the club a $7,500 grant, won't be reviewed until March.

''We want Orlando to have a name in the track and field community,'' Portilla said. ''We're looking for support from people to help us achieve this goal.''

''They've got really great people behind them,'' said John Hughes, owner of the Track Shack in Orlando. ''It's something that's been lacking for a long time. There was a time when Central Florida was too small but this is no longer true. It can be a springboard for us to bring some major events in the future.''

Currently the group is training at Lake Highland Preparatory School track and field, but a proposal already has been submitted to Winter Park Parks and Recreation officials for the use of Showalter Field.

Davenport wants to establish an Olympic-style development program for the athletes that may someday put Orlando on the track and field map.